Turkuaz and the Nth Power Eye Up Buffalo for a One-Two Funk Punch

Buffalo has been seeing its fair share of great artists in the funk, soul, jazz, and jam space, but rarely do top acts tour together. Maybe its due to the potential longer sets that leave room for improvisation, but it’s not unusual to see an act by themselves or with a local opener.

This Wednesday (April 13) two funk powerhouses are coming to Buffalo for a loaded night at Buffalo Iron Works. Turkuaz and the Nth Power share in their love of funk, but their approach is somewhat different. One brings an army while the other is more traditional in size; one has a variety of melody lines, while the other has a heavier focus on rhythm. Either way, a mid-week show is going to funk the crowd six ways to Sunday.

The Nth Power will open the night, kicking things off around 9 p.m. The group is still fresh of its debut album release, Abundance, which came out this past November. The group takes its funky rhythmic base of Nikki Glaspie (drums), Nate Edgar (bass), and Weedie Braimah (percussion) and adds beautiful, rich layers of soul and R&B on top to color in the spaces. The band’s last appearance at The Tralf proved that the talented roster was compelling enough musically to pull in a crowd even before their album was out.

Going back to back with Nth that night is none other than the Berklee meets NYC funk assault of Turkuaz. The sheer numbers of the nine-member deep ensemble provides a sound just as big as you’d expect. The non-negotiable size requirement was there from the beginning with early demos from the founding members needing all of the current pieces to rightfully pull off the sound. The group pulls from the usual funk suspects like Sly and the Family Stone and mixes it with the rock meets pop stylings of groups like the Talking Heads. Turkuaz also has a fresh album in Digitonium that was released last October. The album, like many others in their catalog, only scrapes the surface of the force they bring to a live audience.

Turkuaz

Both of these acts have come through Buffalo, but never together and certainly never with an accompanying act as big as the other. No knock on anyone who’s shared the bill in the past, but this is one not to miss.

Tickets can be purchased for $13-16 at the door or through Buffalo Iron Works website. Don’t miss your chance to catch two national acts who will likely be featured on many festival bills this upcoming summer.

Jeremiah Shea works in the IT industry in Buffalo, NY, but his passion in life is music. As someone who enjoys playing the guitar, listening to music, and attending concerts, writing is something that just fell right into place for him.

If you're not already a Nannimaniac, Thursday is your big chance. After spending the afternoon entertaining the masses for our pals up at Woods Valley, Mark will bring his game back to the East Side for a night of keyboard magic.

Nanni's repertoire is vast and varied and tinkles the keys like nobody's business. He may also grace us with his accordion. Soulful, earnest, authentic. Nanni brings it all.

February 23rd: With special guests AqueousFebruary 24th: All moe. all night2 day passes will be available.

Celebrating the news of a cancer-free diagnosis by band member Rob Derhak, moe. is returning to the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY on Feb. 23 & 24. Moe. cancelled the majority of their 2017 Summer Tour after the band’s bassist/vocalist, Rob Derhak, was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Cancer earlier this year.

He announced: “After being scanned, poked, and prodded my doctors have given me a green light… Although I’ll need to continue the doctors’ visits for the next 5 years, they’ve given me a clean bill of health and declared me cancer free, with only a minimal chance that it will return. So thank you to everyone that was pulling for me. The support I received was instrumental in helping me get through this. I am truly looking forward to seeing everyone when I hit the stage again this February, with moe.”

Founded in 1990, moe. carved a niche for themselves with a distinct blend of Americana, melodic turns, clever songwriting, and jam band ethics. Members Vinnie Amico (Drums), Rob Derhak (bass/vocals), Chuck Garvey (guitar/vocals), Jim Loughlin (Percussion/Vibes) and Al Schnier (guitar/vocals) have built a dedicated following through their extensive touring and musical output.